Whether driving a truck in-town or on long hauls, you must have a commercial driver's license and the skills to potentially spend hours alone on the road. When you are being interviewed for a truck driver position, the hiring manager wants to see your independence while you're answering questions about yourself and your work style.

Basic Questions

Preparing for basic questions can help ease you into the interview. A hiring manager often starts off with the basic request to tell him something about yourself. Stick to information relevant to the interview, such as how long you've been driving trucks, how you got started or the length of your longest haul. He's also likely to ask about your greatest strengths and weaknesses, so have a couple of ideas prepared. These should also relate to truck driving. For example, a strength might be your ability to troubleshoot mechanical problems. When mentioning a weakness, such as remembering to fill out logs daily, talk about how you're correcting the problem, such as keeping a task sheet on your dash that allows you to check off when the logs are completed each night.

Meeting Deadlines

Meeting deadlines is one of the most important elements in the trucking business. The merchandise is usually promised by a certain date, especially perishable items. When asked about your ability to meet deadlines, talk about how you make the most of your time when you're driving. For example, mention how you take the minimum amount of time for breaks. Providing examples of overcoming obstacles such as traffic or mechanical problems, while still meeting your deadlines, can add weight to your answer.

Driver Safety

Trucking companies often have strict regulations on driver safety. Not only do they want you and their merchandise to arrive safely, but they also want all the cars near you on the road to be safe. Car drivers can take chances and make unintelligent moves to try to get around large trucks, which makes your job as a defensive driver key to their safety and yours. When asked about your take on driver safety, talk about your commitment to driving carefully. Share your good driving record -- both professionally and personally -- with the hiring manager, if possible. Providing examples of how you stay focused on long hauls gives insight into your personality and driving skill, such as always keeping both hands on the wheel and checking your mirrors regularly.

Organization

Driving a truck often means handling the accompanying paperwork. Depending on what you're hauling, you likely have to sign out the merchandise, log each stop or delay, and sign the merchandise in at your destination. You might have multiple destinations with the same load, which means you must carefully document what was unloaded at each location. Some companies require you to log each fuel stop with details on how much fuel you needed, your mileage and the cost. The hiring manager is likely to ask you how you stay organized, especially with multiple drops on the same run. Describe filing systems you use in the cab to keep paperwork orderly and organized, as well as tips and tricks you've found helpful when making sure the proper paperwork is signed or exchanged at each stop. If you have ever created your own log sheets, take them to the interview as examples.

About the Author

Based outside Atlanta, Ga., Shala Munroe has been writing and copy editing since 1995. Beginning her career at newspapers such as the "Marietta Daily Journal" and the "Atlanta Business Chronicle," she most recently worked in communications and management for several nonprofit organizations before purchasing a flower shop in 2006. She earned a BA in communications from Jacksonville State University.